Teacher Leadership Today

Celebrating the Day of the Teacher

Most of us know about National Teacher Week, celebrated each May. California being California, it has its own separate celebration – The Day of the Teacher – which fell on May 12 this year.

 Members of the Teacher Leaders Network were inspired by Kelly Kovacic, California's 2009-10 TOY, to pen thank you letters and "job recommendations" for some of the most important teachers in their lives. Over at our TLN Teacher Voices blog, you can read more than a dozen of these inspiring messages -- each one different and profound in its own way. Here's a sample, from Alabama elementary teacher Taylor Ross:

I will never forget the many hours we spent after school and on weekends in rehearals and preparations, but mostly I remember how most of us were dedicated because it meant we could share more time with you. You encouraged me to always expect more from myself, to be honest and compassionate when dealing with others, and to use my gifts and talents to make the world a better place. As a student in your classroom, I never dreamed I would end up in the same profession as you..but in all honesty, I don't think I would have if you hadn't shown me the impact one teacher can have. Thank you for being the teacher you are – and were – to students who needed you the most.

At Teacher Voices, you'll also find a link to a Teacher Magazine article, where we shared even more of these important messages to the colleagues who came before us.

Powerful Essays at Rethink Learning Now

TLN blogger Renee Moore is one of 50 essayists chosen from among more than 700 submissions who will appear in a 2011 book edited by Sam Chaltain, national director of the Forum for Education and Democracy. It’s part of the Forum’s multi-year Rethink Education Now campaign, which has collected hundreds of stories about teaching and learning at its Rethink Learning Now community website. While there are many contributions from teachers, the community is wide open and you’ll find powerful commentaries from every kind of American.

It’s a collection that speaks to the power of Web 2.0 to create a national mosaic. In addition to stories by national figures like Gloria Ladson Billings, Deborah Meier, Arne Duncan, and Al Franken, there are also heartwrenching posts from young people who have obviously been failed by the system. As Chaltain has said: “There are stories from politicians, celebrities, teachers, students, and people from every walk of life. There are stories about 3rd grade classrooms, church missions, prison terms, and unforgettable teachers.”

Visitors can contribute their own stories to this remarkable and positive affirmation of learning (which may remind you of NPR’s StoryCorps project). Other TLN-related contributors include Elena Aguilar, Ken Bernstein, Anthony Cody and Barnett Berry.

(Sam Chaltain is also the author of American Schools: The Art of Creating a Democratic Learning Community, which TLN'er Ken Bernstein reviewed for Teacher Magazine last December.)